Clanton’s City Council was told Monday night the price of paving or resurfacing streets has been driven up by the price of oil, a main ingredient in the production of asphalt.

Clanton Mayor Billy Joe Driver said the city received two bids on the price of asphalt and both were much higher than the bids two years ago when the city purchased asphalt for its paving program.

Wiregrass of Clanton submitted the low bid of $77 per ton. Dunn Construction, the only other company to submit a bid, was high at $81 per ton. Both bids included laying the asphalt.

Mayor Driver said the installed asphalt two years ago was approximately $53 per ton.

He explained 16,000 feet of installed asphalt (approximately three-tenths of a mile) would take approximately 440 tons of asphalt and cost $33,880.

In other business, the council passed a resolution to spend $22,701 as matching funds for a project to construct sidewalks on Old Henry Road. It also passed motions to terminate Jamie Sowell and Kevin Clark.

It approved a motion to have Hull and Russell PC conduct an audit for the city for the fiscal year that will end Sept. 30. It also approved a motion for Fire Chief David Driver to attend a conference in Orange Beach in September.

Mayor Driver said Café Firenze has requested the city to sell it a license to sell liquor. Mayor Driver said the restaurant will be located at 204 Townmart, the former location of Golden Rule Barbecue.

Charles Traywick asked who was responsible for replacing the sidewalk in front of Chilton Motors on Highway 31 South. Mayor Driver said he believed the owners of Chilton Motors were responsible since the sidewalks were taken out during the construction of the company’s building.

He said the city would contact the owners about the matter.